"Who wants to be consistent? The dullard and the doctrinaire, the tedious people who carry out their principles to the bitter end of action, to the reductio ad absurdum of practice. Not I."-Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying

It's not a matter of "giving up" something for Lent....it's a matter of changing ourselves for the better. Trying to be the person we ought to be the other days of the year....and hopefully, our seemingly temporary transformation for Lent....will become a good habit and will continue for the rest of our lives.

Therefore, in addition to the dietary restrictions, we try to better ourselves.

We are in our preparatory period before Great Lent....and we are given these weeks in order to prepare for Lent (which prepares us for Pascha). During these weeks we are to do some soul searching....and be honest with ourselves.

We need to find where we are lacking....perhaps we don't show others enough patience, perhaps we are easily offended, perhaps we are lazy, sarcastic, joke and tease others....thinking it's funny, and not caring that we are hurting others....because it's fun for us...and we are all that matters. ...in addition to giving up any addictions - overeating, drinking too much, smoking, gaming, watching TV too much, etc.

In this period of time we realize our own inequities...and then during Great Lent we work on them....trying not to hurt others, to be more helpful, selfless, patient, etc. Once we do this for the 40+ days of Great Lent and Holy Week.....it may very well become a habit, and after Pascha we will simply continue to be a better version of ourselves than we were before Great Lent.

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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

I'm trying to read St. Basil's letters and the entire Psalter during Great Lent. I already made a day-to-day reading plan so that at Pascha I'll have read it all. Perhaps if people want to join me in reading we could start a thread and discuss what we've read.

I'll also try reduce my meat-eating but I don't want to alarm my parents. Perhaps marmalade on my sandwich but just eat what they give me for dinner.

« Last Edit: February 19, 2013, 11:38:57 AM by Cyrillic »

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"Who wants to be consistent? The dullard and the doctrinaire, the tedious people who carry out their principles to the bitter end of action, to the reductio ad absurdum of practice. Not I."-Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying

In common with others I learnt that embracing Great Lent was like sitting on a three legged stool, the legs being being worship and prayer, fasting and alms giving. Sitting on a stool with only one or two legs is problematic, but again priests taught that if you cannot fast, pray and give alms, and you cannot pray or fast then give alms.

Quite what success there will be with any or all of this only time will reveal. As to 'giving something up', that will have to be a struggle on the lines so well set out by LizaSymonenko.

Am I the only one who thinks that this question raises a bit of pride? We already know what we are supposed to abstain from for lent (meat, dairy, alcohol, sex, etc...).Its more than just about what we're giving up.

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Most Holy Theotokos, Save Us!Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy Upon Me a Sinner!

Am I the only one who thinks that this question raises a bit of pride? We already know what we are supposed to abstain from for lent (meat, dairy, alcohol, sex, etc...).Its more than just about what we're giving up.

Maybe rather something alien to Orthodoxy, and more often heard among some Western confessions. But I understand your reaction.

Am I the only one who thinks that this question raises a bit of pride? We already know what we are supposed to abstain from for lent (meat, dairy, alcohol, sex, etc...).Its more than just about what we're giving up.

Only if you take everything at face value. Like Anastasia already said, this was basically a thinly veiled excuse to post a funny picture.

Am I the only one who thinks that this question raises a bit of pride? We already know what we are supposed to abstain from for lent (meat, dairy, alcohol, sex, etc...).Its more than just about what we're giving up.

Only if you take everything at face value. Like Anastasia already said, this was basically a thinly veiled excuse to post a funny picture.

« Last Edit: February 19, 2013, 05:13:28 PM by Anastasia1 »

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Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Cor 2:6)

Giving up for Great Lent? ... Internet forums or sinning, maybe both at the same time.

Right. What a great thing it would be if we all give up 2 hours of internet forums per day and go visit lonely widows at the nursing home. We might actually squeak into the Kingdom of Heaven (and that, barely).

Giving up for Great Lent? ... Internet forums or sinning, maybe both at the same time.

Right. What a great thing it would be if we all give up 2 hours of internet forums per day and go visit lonely widows at the nursing home. We might actually squeak into the Kingdom of Heaven (and that, barely).

Or we can just give the lonely widows an iPad so that we can talk to them on the internet forums.

Giving up for Great Lent? ... Internet forums or sinning, maybe both at the same time.

Right. What a great thing it would be if we all give up 2 hours of internet forums per day and go visit lonely widows at the nursing home. We might actually squeak into the Kingdom of Heaven (and that, barely).

Thank you Father. Finally someone who "gets it".

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I would be happy to agree with you, but then both of us would be wrong.

Yes, in our rush to outdo the Pharisees in our works, we have forgotten words like Kathisma.

Sad, isn't it. Choy was only kidding, but we have lots of seat-haters around here.

I was?

Seriously though, I came from an Eastern Catholic parish, I don't mind seats. Although they do get in the way of prostrations and also because of Latinizations we sit at the most inappropriate times (like the Litany after the Anaphora. Even RCs do not sit after the Consecration.)

Yes, in our rush to outdo the Pharisees in our works, we have forgotten words like Kathisma.

Sad, isn't it. Choy was only kidding, but we have lots of seat-haters around here.

I was?

Seriously though, I came from an Eastern Catholic parish, I don't mind seats. Although they do get in the way of prostrations and also because of Latinizations we sit at the most inappropriate times (like the Litany after the Anaphora. Even RCs do not sit after the Consecration.)

Sorry to hear that. BTW, I have a serious question slightly off-topic, but did you encounter EC parishes where they crossed themselves "the Latin way" L to R?